Brain surgeries are becoming acceptable therapeutic and diagnostic modality in the neurosurgical treatment of patients suffering, for example, from chronic pain, Parkinson's disease, seizure, and other medical conditions. Among brain surgeries, brain biopsy is a common diagnostic surgery. A brain biopsy is the removal of a small piece of a brain tissue for the diagnosis of the brain abnormalities. A brain biopsy is used to diagnose Alzheimer's disease, tumors, infections, inflammations, and other brain disorders. By examining the tissue sample under a microscope, the biopsy sample provides doctors with the information necessary for diagnosis and treatment. The biopsy surgeries are categorized based on the technique and the needle size used for tissue extraction. A stereotactic biopsy, otherwise known as a core biopsy, is one of the least invasive types of biopsies. In a stereotactic biopsy procedure, 3-D imaging technology, as well as data from CT (Computer Tomography) and MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) scans are utilized to examine a tissue sample from a brain. Images that are taken in at least two planes may be used to pinpoint a tissue location (hereinafter target), such as a tumor or microcalcifications in a breast. The pinpointed location may be used to help guide the tissue removal procedure. In a stereotactic biopsy procedure, the underlying principle of parallax may be utilized to determine the depth or “Z-dimension” of the target.
During the above-described stereotactic biopsies, as various other biopsy techniques, visual information may be simultaneously provided for the surgeon in real-time. An example of such visual information can include detailed information of the 3D path the surgeon must navigate to perform the biopsy, as well as real-time information tracking the surgical instrument. Providing the visual information utilization and real-time tracking of instruments during the surgical procedures can help enhance the precision and quality of the surgeries.
Notwithstanding the above-described providing of information to the surgeon, in stereotactic biopsy procedures, in guiding the biopsy needle to the target, actions of movement must be performed directly by the surgeon. Requiring substantial actions from the surgeon makes the biopsy procedure dependent on the surgeon's proficiency and dexterity. In addition, when an imaging equipment such as a CT scanner is used, some harmful rays may be spread out to the surgery room and consequently, in order to protect the surgeon from harmful rays, a protection mechanism may be used. The protection mechanism may substantially increase the biopsy procedure's cost, and also may affect the precision and quality of the biopsy procedure.
Therefore, there is a need in the art for stereotactic biopsy systems and devices in which the stereotactic biopsy procedures are accomplished more accurately without requiring direct actions taken by the surgeon.